Ministers demand action against Mankotia
Shimla, April 12
The ongoing tussle between Mr Virbhadra Singh , Chief Minister, and former Minister, Vijai Singh Mankotia, headed for a showdown with entire Himachal Cabinet, except Mrs Vidya Stokes, power minister, demanding action against the fiery leader whose utterances were causing damage to the image of the party.

Confrontation likely between Centre, state
Shimla, April 12
The insistence of the Himachal Government on having at least two regular directors on the board of the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam may lead to a fresh round of confrontation between the Centre and the state.

17 judicial officers transferred
Shimla, April 12
The Himachal Pradesh High Court today transferred 17 judicial officers of the state.
Mr D.C. Chaudhary, president, District Consumer Forum, Mandi, has been transferred and posted as District and Sessions Judge, Kulu, in place of Mr B.R. Chandel, who takes over as District and Sessions Judge, Hamirpur, replacing Mr Shamsher Singh, who has been appointed as president, District Consumer Forum, Mandi.

Global agency to prepare master
plan for Shimla
Shimla, April 12
The state government will seek the help of an international agency to prepare the master plan for the development of Shimla for the next 25 years, while conserving its heritage and British legacy.

Attack on lamas; cop suspended
Mandi, April 12
Superintendent of Police Mandi district Ajay Yadav today suspended a head constable, one of the three accused, who had beaten up two lamas near Lomas Rishi cave at Sarkidhar, near Riwalsar, pilgrimage centre 30 km from here last night. The police had arrested the two accused in the case, but the third one was absconding.

Govt may give land to Tibetans on lease
Shimla, April 12
The Himachal Government will consider to provide land on lease for a reasonable period of time to the Tibetans residing in the state so that they could lead a more comfortable life.

Daily-wage earners hold procession
Palampur, April 12
Hundreds of daily-waged workers held a procession at Baijnath today in support of their demands. The procession passed through the main streets of the town. The workers were raising anti-government slogans.

Shimla, April 12
The ongoing tussle between Mr Virbhadra Singh , Chief Minister, and former Minister, Vijai Singh Mankotia, headed for a showdown with entire Himachal Cabinet, except Mrs Vidya Stokes, power minister, demanding action against the fiery leader whose utterances were causing damage to the image of the party.

Expressing solidarity with Mr Virbhadra Singh, who has been at the receiving end of Maj Mankotia’s tirade, the ministers denounced the accusations as false and asserted that he was feeling trustrated for his lust for power and ambition. They urged the party high command to take notice of the conduct of Maj Mankotia, for disregarding norms of civilised behaviour, and restore discipline in the party.

The ministers, Mr Kaul Singh, Mr Sat Mahajan, Mr Rangila Ram Rao,Mr Ram Lal, Mr Raj Krishan Gaur, Mr Kulddep Kumar, Mr Singhi Ram, Mr Harsh Mahajan and Mr G.S.Bali, chided Maj Mankotia for dragging the name of Congress high command and giving an impression that whatever he was doing had its approval. There was anger in the party over his conduct which did not behove members of a disciplined organisation.

They ridiculed Maj Mankotia for levelling false allegations concerning ancestral property and forests of Mr Virbhadra Singh which was an old story.

Maj Mankotia had been given to extreme behaviour. When in government he was full of praise for the government but when not made a minister he started making false and frivolous allegations. He had joined the Congress for the third time after leaving it again and again for greener pastures. Yet he had the cheek to question the bona fides of Mr Virbhadra Singh who had lived and breathed Congress through his life.

It was ridiculous to question his leadership qualities as he had led the party to many electoral victories.

They advised Maj Mankotia to refrain from making “unsubstantiated and unfounded” accusations which tarnished image of the party.

Shimla, April 12
The insistence of the Himachal Government on having at least two regular directors on the board of the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam may lead to a fresh round of confrontation between the Centre and the state.

Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, has already handed out a veiled threat by publicly stating that the government would review the agreement for implementation of the 434 MW Rampur project if its demand for appointing Director, Civil, and Director, Personnel, from the state was not accepted. He even said that the decision to assign the Khab and Luri projects to the SJVN could also be reconsidered. The Nigam is a joint venture company in which the Centre is the major partner with 75 per cent equity and the state holds the remaining 25 percent share. There are 11 directors and of the 6 part-time directors four are from the Centre and two from the state.

Given the new policy of the Government of India in not having directors on deputation in central public sector undertakings (PSUs), it will not be easy to have officers from the state cadre on the board of the SJVN. The policy is aimed at ending ad hocism and ensuring greater accountability in PSUs. Besides, presence of deputationists also hampers development of leadership. The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) which conducted interviews for the post of Director (personnel) last month had, while circulating the vacancy, made it clear that the selected candidate would have to resign from the parent organisation and get absorbed permanently in the nigam. The present Director (Personnel), Mr Tarun Kapoor, happens to be an IAS officer of the state cadre. The Centre allowed him to join the Nigam on deputation without quitting the parent organisation as a special case.

It has recommended the name of Mr Rajinder Singh Katoch, at present heading the Human Resource Department in the Hardwar unit of the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). Incidentally, Mr Katoch hails from Kunsal village in Baijnath and had obtained his MBA degree from Himachal Pradesh University. Earlier, the PESB had recommended the name of Mr JK Sharma, an internal candidate, for the post of Director (Civil), which is also vacant. Even the post of Director (Finance) is vacant.

Shimla, April 12
The Himachal Pradesh High Court today transferred 17 judicial officers of the state.

Mr D.C. Chaudhary, president, District Consumer Forum, Mandi, has been transferred and posted as District and Sessions Judge, Kulu, in place of Mr B.R. Chandel, who takes over as District and Sessions Judge, Hamirpur, replacing Mr Shamsher Singh , who has been appointed as president, District Consumer Forum, Mandi.

Mr P.S. Rana, president, District Consumer Forum, Dharamsala, has been posted as Registrar (Inspection), state high court, while Mr R.K. Mittal, Administrative Officer, State Legal Services Authority, goes as Special Secretary, Law, to the state government.

Mr Sushil Kukreja, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Kangra, Dharamsala, has been posted as District and Sessions Judge, Kinnaur, Rampur, in place of Mr C.B. Baroowalia who takes over as president, District Consumer Forum, Dharamsala.

Mr D.K. Sharma, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Shimla, goes as Additional District and Sessions Judge, Kangra, Dharamsala, while Mr A.S. Jaswal, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mandi, has been posted as Additional District and Sessions Judge, Nahan.

Mr Pritam Singh, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Solan (ad hoc), has been promoted and posted as such on regular basis at Solan.

Shimla, April 12
The state government will seek the help of an international agency to prepare the master plan for the development of Shimla for the next 25 years, while conserving its heritage and British legacy.

With the “Queen of Hills” virtually being turned into a concrete jungle, the government will engage an international agency with experience in the field of urban planning to prepare a detailed project report. Global tenders will be floated for engaging an international agency and Rs 1 crore will be given for this task.

The matter is likely to be placed before the Cabinet in the next meeting. The master plan for the next 25 years will touch various aspects like planned construction, decongestion, sapling plantation, garbage disposal, reviving and channelising water channels and developing places of tourist interest.

However, it is not certain as to which agency will be entrusted the responsibility for ensuring the growth of the town on the lines of the plan. Sources said the Cabinet would take a final decision on this but in most likelihood the housing board would be the main agency.

The government is keen that the construction of four tunnels, ropeways and by-passes should be taken up under this project as this will greatly ease traffic congestion in the town. Besides, creation of additional parking space is one of the topmost priorities of the Tourism Department.

The government proposes to have parking lots and elevators at Lakkar Bazar, bus stand to Ridge near Snowdown, Cart Road to Lakkar Bazar and from Bemloe on the Cart Road to the Mall.

Mandi, April 12
Superintendent of Police Mandi district Ajay Yadav today suspended a head constable, one of the three accused, who had beaten up two lamas near Lomas Rishi cave at Sarkidhar, near Riwalsar, pilgrimage centre 30 km from here last night. The police had arrested the two accused in the case, but the third one was absconding. Police officials said three accused in the case had entered Lomas Rishi caves on Tuesday evening and threatened the guru in the monastery with the gun they were carrying. After that, they beat up two lamas-Gochodak and Lobgang-at Sarkidhar monastery. The lamas to snatched the single-barrel gun and a cartridge from them and handed it over to the police.

The secretary of the Tibetan monastery, Riwalsar Thopo Nara, lodged an FIR at Riwalsar police station alleging that three persons, armed with a gun entered the Sarkidhar Buddhist monastery at Lomas Rishi caves banged at the door of the monastery and threatened the Buddhist Guru.

The police has arrested two persons- Mr Dhananjay Sharma, a hotelier and Mr Rudramani, a head constable at Mandi police-under Section 307, 422, 325, 504, 506, 437, 34 of the IPC. The third accused, Kishan Chand, who works with Dhananjay Sharma was absconding.

The arrested persons were produced before the district and sessions judge, at Mandi today. They will remain in police remand till April 17. The gun belongs to a relative of Dhananjay Sharma, the police revealed.

Shimla, April 12
The Himachal Government will consider to provide land on lease for a reasonable period of time to the Tibetans residing in the state so that they could lead a more comfortable life.

This was stated by Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, while interacting with a high-level delegation of the Tibetan administration-in-exile led by Mr Lobsang Nyandak, Finance Minister, here today. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the land would be leased out in the name of the Central Tibetan Administration to avoid any problems.

He said availability of land on lease would enable the Tibetans to build houses and carry out other activities in a convenient and planned manner.

Palampur, April 12
Hundreds of daily-waged workers held a procession at Baijnath today in support of their demands. The procession passed through the main streets of the town. The workers were raising anti-government slogans.

Later a rally was held outside PWD Rest House where a number of union leaders criticised the government for its failure to protect the interests of the daily-waged workers. Mr Sita Ram Saini, general secretary of the state unit of INTUC, criticised the state government for the termination of over 100 daily-waged workers of the Indo-German Changar Project.

He said these workers has been working since 1993. He said this step of the government was uncalled for. He said instead of absorbing them in other projects, the government retrenched their services.

Mr Saini said a meeting of INTUC would be held at Shimla on April 21 to chalk out the further line of action.
— OC

Mandi, April 12
The stage is set for a regular Air Deccan 80 R 40-seater flight from Delhi to Bhuntar in the Kulu valley by the end of this month.

Talking to The Tribune on the sidelines of an inspection of herbal gardens and pharmacy at Jogindernagar, near here, today, the Principal Secretary, Tourism, Mr Abhay Shukla, said Air Deccan had already dedicated a 40-seater plane for the purpose.

“We have taken up the matter with the Ministry of Civil Aviation to allot a parking slot for the Delhi-Bhuntar flight. The airline needs a third parking slot as it has three planes but two parking slots at the Delhi airport,” he said.

The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, is likely to take up the matter with the Union Tourism Minister, Ms Renuka Chaudhary, who will preside over Chamba town’s millennium celebrations being held from April 14 to 20, said officials.

Air Deccan has already run a successful Delhi-Bhuntar trial flight last month and has agreed to run a regular scheduled flight in the morning to Bhuntar, said the officials. “Currently, Jagson Airways runs its 18-seater flight to Bhuntar, but it is uncertain and insufficient for passengers, mostly tourists,” they added.

The plane will return via Jalandhar and Ludhiana. “This will rope in tourists from Punjab as well,” the officials said.